Condenser.



G. B. PETSUHE.

GONDENSER.

` APPLIQATION FILED rma.zs, 1907.

933,849. PatentedfSept. 14, 1909.

WITNESSES: INVEIV I @aza/@41% i--. UNITED sTATns naranai canton.

GUSTAV BERNHARD PETSCI-IE, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO SOUTHWARK FOUNDRY AND MACHINE COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYL- VANIA, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA. I

GONDENSER.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUsTAv BERNHARD PE'rso-IE, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing in Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain newv and useful Improvement in Condensers, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being' had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part thereof.

My present invention relates to condensers such as are employed for condensing the exhaust steam from steam engines and has for its main objects to improve the operation and Simplify and improve the construction of such condensers.

In carrying out my invention I provide one or more reservoirs into which. water which has already been passed through a portion of the condenser proper and has been effective in producing` condensation is discharged and from which reservoir or reservoirs water is drawn into another portion or portions of the condenser proper to produce more condensation, the condenser being so arranged that in normal operation the major portion of the condensation produced by the condenser occurs in the last mentioned condenser portion, or portions. Vith this arrangement I insure that when the load on the condenser, z'. e., the amount of steam to be condensed, rises above the average, the water drawn from the reservoir or reservoirs, which for this reason I must call equalizing reservoirs, is cooler than that fed into the reservoir and the condenser, therefore, effectively takes care of the steam fed into it when the engine or engines with which it is connected are overloaded, which, of course, is the time when the capacity of the condenser should be at a maximum.

In so far as above described, my improved condenser contains the invention described and claimed in the IVeiss patent 771,515. My present invention difiiers from that of the IVeiss patent, however, in the fact that I have arranged for a pure counter-current action and have simplified and improved the construction of the condenser as a whole by making the equalizing reservoir and the condenser proper, parts of a single mechanical structure.

The various features of novelty which clar'acterize my invention are pointed out Specification of Letters Patent. Patentgd Sept, 14, 1999,

Application filed February 25, 1907.

Serial No. 359,289.

with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of my invention, however, and the advantages possessed by it, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which I have illustrated in a single vertical section one of the forms in which my invention may be employed.

In the drawing, A represents' the condenser' structure proper which is made up of tubular sections B, C, D, E, F, G, H, l, J, K, L, M, N and O, placed one above the other in the order given. The lower section B which has a closed end rests upon the foundation work or base P. The various sections inay be formed of any suitable material as wrought or cast iron, the adjacent end of adjacent sections being secured together in any suitable manner. The sections G and H are separated by a diaphragm Q, and the lower sections B, C, D, E, F, and G forming the one equalizing reservoir employed in the condenser shown and the upper sections forming the condenser proper. An outlet port Gr1 from the reservoir is formed in the.

section G and an inlet port Cl is formed in the section C. The water discharged from the condenser collects above the diaphragm Q and passing through a discharge 'port Hl lformed in the section H is carried by piping R to a well or chamber Pl formed in the base P, from which it escapes through a waste port Pg. A non return valve Rl located elow the waste port P and in normal operation submerged in water, prevents any upwardflow through the piping R.

The steam enters the condenser from the steam pipe S through a port I1 formed partly in the section I and partly in the section J. A hood 12 carried by the section J above the port serves to partially deflect the steam downward and against the side wall of the condenser.v An annular chamber K6 or receptacle is formed in the section K, by a member K1 in the form of the frustum of a hollow cone, at the base of which is formed an outwardly extending ciroumferential fiange K2 Which is secured between internal flanges formed on the sections K and J. Water passing into the annular chamber of reservoir KG thus formed, through the inlet port K* from the outlet port G1 of the equalizing reservoir through the piping T is discharged over the upper edge of the member K1 and falls upon a spreader K5 of conical form, which diverts the water toward the wall of the condenser. A member J1 in the form of a frustum of an inverted hollow cone serves to deflect the water discharged from the upper surface of the member J 5 and throw it toward the center. The member J1 is provided with a i circunferential flange at its upper end which may bear against the side of the flange formed in the lower end member K and with it be received between the flanges formed on the adjacent ends of the sections K and J. The member K5 may be supported in any suitable manner from the member K1, as by bolts or rivets when the parts are formed of wrought iron, and when the parts are formed of cast iron the members K1 and K5 may be integrally connected together by ribs or webs. As these are obvious features of mechanical construction, I have not thought .it necessary to illustrate them in detail in the drawing.

Between the lower end of the section L and the upper end of the section K is secured the base of a member L1 in the general form of a frustum of a hollow cone. The annular chamber or receptacle L3 formed between the inner wall of the chamber L and the outer wall of the chamber L1 has a discharge port L2 connected by piping U with the inlet port C1 of the reservoir.

Between the sections L and M is secured a member M1 generally similar to the member K1 and supporting in the same manner a spreader M2 generally similar to the spreader KS.

The member M1 and section M form an annular chamber' Mt. The cold watersupply pipe V feeds water into the condenser through an inlet port MS. formed in the section M and opening into the chamber M't. A spreader or baffle N:L is secured in the upper end of the condenser in any suitable manner as by means of web like ribs or wings N2 integrally connecting the spreader Ni to the section N. The spreader is provided with a central'aperture N3 and is spaced away from the section N to form an annular passage N4 between its periphery and the adjacent surface of the member N. The steam discharge port O1 of the condenser formed in the upper section O, is connected by piping V and piping X to a well or chamber P3 formed in Vthe base of the condenser.y Water from the well P3 escapes into the well P1 over the wall P?, the upper edge of which is above the waste port P; A non-return valve X1, which may be similar to the valve Rl, prevents backward flow through the piping W. As shown, the downwardly turned end 71 of the piping W projects into the upper end of the pipng X below'the port X2 which is connected by a pipe X? to any suitable vacuum ofV the spreaders.

producing device such as a vacuum pump (not shown in the drawing).

In operation the steam entering the condenser through the pipe S passes upward in a tortuous manner on account of the arrangement of the members K, Kl, L1, Mz, M1 and N. The uncondensed residue of the steam passes out of the condenser through the port' O1 and is carried through the/piping VV into the piping X, from the enlarged upper end of which it is withdrawn through the port X2 and piping XF. Any Vwater carried through the pipe W passes into the well Pajthrough the piping X. The cold water supplied by any suitable means to the condenser through the pipe V escapes from the chamber M* by splashing over the upper edge of the member M1 and, falling' upon the spreader Mz, is diverted into the-` annular chamber L3. From there it passes to the bottom of the equalizing reservoir through the piping U. From the equalizing reservoir the water passes through the piping T to the chamber K6 formed at the outer side of the member K1. The water from this chamber splashes over the Vupper edge of the member K1 and is diverted first toward and then away from'the wall of the condenser by the members K5 and J1.

It will be observed that Vthe steam Vadmitted to the condenser flows in all cases through or along the various condensing streams of water in a direction generally opposite to that of the streams of water. By the term condensing Streams I mean to. describe the broken stream portions or jetsy such as pass from the lower edges of the spreaders KF' and M2 and also the films of water such as flow down the conical surfa-ces This counter-current flow of the steam and .water has been found to be' highly conducive to the best results.

In operating my invention in the prevoi ferred manner under normal load, practi- V cally all of the steam entering the condenser is condensed by the water discharged from the lower'chamber KG of the condenser and the condensing water 'does not rise appreciably in temperature in passing from the pipe V to the equalizing reservoir. As a result, when the amount of steamV to be condensed increases above the ordinary amount, i

the water discharged into the chamber L8 from the upper' chamber N Atcondenses the excess. Moreover, since the temperature of the water drawn from the equalizing reservoir is at first practically unaffected in temperature by an increase in the temperature of the'water fiowing into it, the condenser can adequately take care of the large temporary increases in the amount of steam supplied to the condenser which. occui1 from time to time. Then, after such an increase, steam is again supplied to the condenser at the usual rate the temperature of the water iii the equalizing reservoir, which, of course, has risen during the excess or overload period gradually lowers. It will be iiiiderstood that niore of tlie steam is condensed during this period by the water passing to the chamber L3 froin the chainber M4 than is the case when the water iii the equalizing reservoir is colder.

By supplying water to the equalizing reservoir at its lower end and withdrawing water froin tlie upper end of the reservoir, instead of supplyiiig water at the upper end and withdrawing water at the lower end of the reservoir, as in the `Weiss patent referred to, an important advantage is obtained. This is diie to the fact that when the water admitted at the bottom of the reservoir is colder than the water already in the reservoir, the hotter water stays on top and .is soon withdrawn. In consequence, the average teinpera'turc of the water in the reservoir diiring light load periods falls inore rapidly than woiild be the case if the relatively cool entering water coinininglcd readily with the hotter water already in the reservoir. On the other hand, during heavy load periods when the water entering the reservoir is hotter than the water in the reservoir there is a thorough commingling of the entering water with the water already in the reservoir due to the difference in their specific gravitie's, thus obviating the necessity for any other .mixing provisions.

By arranging the reservoir beneath the coiideiiser proper and making it a partof tlie condeiiser structure, the mechanical construction is Simplified, the amount' of piping employed is reduced to a ininiinuin, as is also the fioor space occupied by the condenser, and the condenser structure as a whole is made inore' compact than would be the case if the coiidenser proper and reservoir were separate mechanical structures.

It will be observed that the outlet port G1 of the reservoir is located a slight distance below the diaphragm. In consequence the water level Ql in the equalizing reservoir will be in the same plane with the upper side of the` port Gl, the space above the Water level Q1 being filled with air escaping from tlie water fed into the reservoir. This laye'r of air is an advantage in preventing the transfer of heat from the diaphragm Q and water above it to the water in the equalizing reservoir.

lVhile the form of my invention disclosed in the drawing has been found to give excelleiit results in practice, it will be understood by those' skilled in the art that changes may be made in my invention without departing from its spirit.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

l. In a vacuum condenser, the combination with an equalizing reservoir, of a condensing chamber located above and supported by said reservoir and forming with the latter a single mechanical structure, a pipe connection by which water is conveyed from one level of the condenser proper to the equalizing reservoir, and a separate connection by which water is returned to a lower level of the condenser proper from the reservoir.

2. A condenser structure formed of tubular sections arranged one above the other and a transverse diaphragm wliich divides the structure into an upper condenser portion proper and an equalizing reservoir portion, said condenser portion being provided with upper, lower and intermediate chainbers, means for supplying water to the upper chamber, ineans for withdrawing water from the bottom of the condeiiser portion, a conduit for conveying water from the intermediate chamber to the equalizing reservoir, a conduit for conveying water from the equalizing reservoir to the lower chamber, said condenser being provided with an inlet port for the steam to be condensed located below the lower chamber and an outlet port for the uncondensed residue of the steam located above the upper chamber, said chambers being so arranged that water supplied to the upper reservoir discharges in a condensing stream into the intermediate reservoir and water supplied to the lower reservoir discharges in a condensing stream into the lower end of the condenser.

3. In avacuuin condenser, the combination with an equalizing reservoir of a condenser proper located above and supported by said reservoir, a pipe connection by which water is conveyed from one level of the condenser proper to the lower end of the equalizing reservoir, and a separate connection by which water is returned to a lower level of the I condenser proper, said separate connection leading from the reservoir a slight distance below its upper end, whereby an air space between the reservoir and condenser is provided which retards the transfer of heat between the condenser and the reservoir.

4. In a vacuum condenser, the combination with the condensing chamber, of an equalizing reservoir, a pipe connection leading to the lower end of said reservoir by which water is conveyed from an upper level of the condensing chamber to said reservoir, and a separate pipe connection leading from'the upper end of said reservoir by which water is returned from said reservoir to a lower level of the condensing chamber.

GUSTAV BERNHARD PETSCHE. VVitnesses:

ARNOLD KATz, J. E. I-IUBBELL. 

